PRO BASKETBALL; Knicks Are Not Among Webber's Choices

By HOWARD BECK

Published: January 12, 2007

Isiah Thomas could not hide his warm feelings and deep appreciation for Chris Webber -- as a player, as a person and as a figure who could change the N.B.A.'s playoff landscape this spring.

Webber, a forward, was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers and became a free agent Thursday morning. The Knicks are in a crowded field of suitors vying for his services. But Thomas, the Knicks' coach and president, seemed convinced that Webber will end up elsewhere. In his most sentimental moment, Thomas almost seemed to wish for that to happen.

''I love Chris Webber,'' he said. ''I've known him since he was a little kid, in high school, college. I know his family well, gone through a lot of highs and lows with him. And he's a good man. He's a good man. I hope he finishes his career at the top of the league, because he's a guy that has always been on the big stage.''

Madison Square Garden is not the stage it once was. Webber, who turns 34 on March 1, is eying a title to complete his r?m?which effectively rules out the Knicks. Thomas practically conceded that point Thursday.

''I would say there are other teams ahead of us probably right now,'' Thomas said.

Webber has made that clear. In an interview with ESPN.com, he listed the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs as his preferred destinations.

''The thing I want to do most is win a championship,'' Webber told ESPN. Webber came closest in 2002, when his Sacramento Kings fell to the Lakers in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

The Kings traded Webber to the 76ers in February 2005. At the time, the 76ers believed that Webber and Allen Iverson would form a potent 1-2 punch that could elevate their standing in the Eastern Conference. However, the 76ers traded Iverson to the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 19, and there was no point keeping Webber, who averaged 11.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 18 games this season, far off his career averages of 21.4 points and 10 rebounds.

In a muddled, injury-racked year in the Eastern Conference, Webber could easily tip the balance of power. Miami, which won the championship last June, is desperate for reinforcements. The Pistons, who lost center Ben Wallace to free agency last summer, also need frontcourt help. Webber's deft passing and midrange jumper could be the difference for either team. Thomas suggested that Webber could also shift the race in the Western Conference.

What Thomas could not say is whether Webber might see some glimmer of opportunity with the Knicks. They are in contention for a playoff berth, but certainly not a title. Then again, the Eastern Conference is a mess, which seems to suggest that anything is possible.

''You never know what happens in this league with injuries and everything else,'' Thomas said. ''I've been around a long time, and this is going to be a strange year. However you thought it was going to look like, chances are at the end it's not going to be that way at all.''

The Knicks (16-21) are only a game out of the Atlantic Division lead. They are also a game out of eighth place in the conference, which means they could lose the division race and still have a shot at a playoff berth.

The Nets had been expected to run away with the division title, but they were 16-19 after Thursday's nights victory over the Chicago Bulls. Their prospects have dimmed considerably because of Nenad Krstic's season-ending knee injury and because of turmoil in the locker room.

''With injuries and teams not playing well, we're in January and it's not at all what we thought it was going to be,'' Thomas said. ''New Jersey is the perfect example. They're used to then running off 10, 12 in a row and then the division's over. This can be a year that one player moves and one player comes to a team and it's, 'Phew.' ''

Making the playoffs could be the difference between Thomas's keeping his jobs or losing them. Adding the right player and drawing the right opponent may even get the Knicks to the second round. So Thomas will probably be involved when any marquee names become available in the coming weeks. The trading deadline is Feb. 22.

Thomas insisted, though, that the Knicks' blueprint had not changed. The emphasis remained on developing a contender from within.

''We won't be shortsighted,'' he said. ''Our goal is to keep building and keep developing our young players. And you don't want to be shortsighted and give up tomorrow for today.''

REBOUNDS

Quentin Richardson scored 19 points in his return from a back injury Wednesday, but he figures to remain a reserve. The Knicks' current lineup -- Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury in the backcourt, and Jared Jeffries, Channing Frye and Eddy Curry in the frontcourt -- has won three consecutive games and is 4-4 over all. ''I'm comfortable and satisfied the way things are now,'' Isiah Thomas said.

Photo: The 76ers waived Chris Webber yesterday. He averaged 11.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 18 games this season, far off his career averages. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Reuters)